Whopper Bar at Universal CityWalk Now Open

When customers belly up to this bar, instead of a few cold brewskies they’ll find a nice, warm Whopper that they can customize with 22 different toppings.

Burger King on Tuesday unveiled its first Whopper Bar at Universal CityWalk dining and entertainment complex in Orlando. The protoype concept features an open kitchen where customers can watch their food prepared and a limited menu aimed to capitalize on the brand equity in the Whopper.

The menu features a choice of a Whopper, Double Whopper and Steakhouse XT with toppings like smoked bacon, pepperjack cheese, guacamole, sautéed mushrooms and crispy onions. Some toppings are free and others cost 50 cents each.

There also is a chicken sandwich. Plus, there are a selection of favorites including the Bourbon Whopper, Angry Whopper and Three-Cheese Steakhouse XT. There’s also french fries and milk shakes, plus future locations may include those cold brews.

Featuring a red, black and gray color scheme the aim is to create a hip-looking destination. The Whopper Bar is designed to fit into places where there wouldn’t be room for a full-size restaurant like in shopping malls, casinos, cruise ships and universities.

”There are more and more nook and cranny real estate opportunities that are perfectly suited for a concept like this,” said Russ Klein, Burger King’s president of global marketing, strategy and innovation.

Plans call for opening about half dozen Whopper Bars before the end of the year in locations including Munich, Singapore and, Los Angeles. If it proves successful, Klein says the company sees potential for between 300 and 500 Whoopper Bars over the next three to five years.
The Whopper Bar costs between $600,000 and $800,000 to build, making it about 30 percent cheaper than the smallest Burger King restaurant protoype. Burger King expects the concept to generate well over $1 million in sales, Klein said.

”We’re looking for a cash on cash return equal or superior to that of a regular Burger King,” Klein said. `We need to prove the concept out in as many key regions and venues around the world as we can.”